Monday, November 14, 2011

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. Today's blog post is a review of one of my favorite blushes - Laura Geller's Blush N Brighten. The shade that I have is called Roseberry.

Now, I had never tried any Laura Geller product before this one. If you haven't heard about this brand before, it's available on the QVC UK website. It's a premium brand, and the Blush n Brighten retails for £28.00 online. You also get a retractable brush with it. Now, being a student last year, funds were very limited, and I couldn't afford to spend that much. So when I saw this on eBay for a much lower price, I jumped on it*. The brush didn't come with it, though, so I won't be reviewing that.

This is a baked blush, and according to Laura Geller, all of her baked products start out as a liquid and are then baked on terracota pans in Italy. This is what gives them this swirled appearance. It is also what determines that no two products are exactly alike, because you never know what concentration of colour you'll be getting since they are all swirled in different patterns.

The shade that I have, Roseberry, is a lovely soft pink. It has a shimmer to it with a subtle, gold undertone, so even though the colour itself is more complementary to cool skintones, the gold shimmer offsets that, resulting in a blush that can be worn by warm undertones, as well. The blush itself also looks beautiful, with shimmery threads of gold-pink running through it.

While the swatch itself doesn't appear to be too pigmented on my hand, it can really show up dark on your face. So use it with a VERY light touch, because you only need a little bit. This is especially important if you're fair skinned. Another important thing to note is, try to apply it in natural light. I applied it in my room, which has a yellowish-golden light and it seemed quite subtle. Then I went outside, and BIG SURPRISE! It was way too much, bordering on clownish (needless to say, much panicked rubbing with a handkerchief ensued). Also, as with most baked products, there tends to quite a lot of fallout, so watch out for that.

The bottom line is, this is a beautiful blush. A lot of people compare it to MAC's Mineralize range, and I think that it certainly can give that line a run for its money. And although that is cheaper, with Laura Geller's Blush n Brighten, you're getting 9g (compared to MAC's 3.5g). So if you don't mind the high price-tag (or are having a lucky eBay day), you can't go wrong with this one. :)

*SIDEBAR: If you have never bought cosmetics or make-up on eBay, you might want to read this. Personally, I find it's a fantastic place to get good deals, find products that have been discontinued etc. But, unfortunately, it's also a place where a lot of counterfeit or fake goods are sold. So before you go ahead and buy something, check the seller ratings and reviews. Try and avoid makeup that is classified as 'Used' (even if it is used a little, because it is makeup, and it wouldn't be hygenic. Especially for something like lipstick, for instance). It's also advisable to buy products that have actual, clear pictures of them posted, rather than a brand photo. And also watch out for ridiculously cheap "high-end" make-up, especially when it says it's an overseas seller. Of course, you could do all this, and still end up with something that doesn't meet your expectations, but eBay does have a protection policy, so chances are, you can get a refund. So go ahead, be safe and happy shopping! :)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Hello! It has been a long time since my first update, because my laptop has been on the fritz. But it's back now, and so are the posts! This one is going to be a review of Elf's lipsticks and lipbalm. I have two of the lipsticks (one more on the way!), and one of the Studio Conditioning lipbalm. So let's get started!

L-R: Posh, Voodoo and Romantic Rouge

L-R: Posh, Voodoo and Romantic Rouge

Lipstick

The lipsticks that I'm going to be talking about are from the Elf Essential range (as it is known in the US). Here in the UK, it's the cheapest line, and you can buy them online at http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/ for £1.50 each. The shades that I have are Posh (described on the site as a deep, cool berry shade) and Voodoo (described as a spicy, warm red). They are both creme lipsticks, and I find them to be very pigmented.

The packing is minimal, but not cheap or flimsy looking. In the pictures on the website, it appears to have little stars on it, but on the actual product (as you can see from the picture), it's a plain silver-grey colour. I'm not too bothered about this. You get a decent 3.5g of product in it, so that's great value for a £1.50 lipstick.

In terms of texture - they're not the creamiest lipsticks in the world, so I usually apply a moisturizing lip balm before I put these on. Then they go on like a dream. The staying power is all right - they're not long-lasting, but you don't need to constantly reapply them, either. And like I mentioned before, the pigmentation is very good, so I tend to use a lip brush to prevent from getting too much product on there.

The colours that I have are both lovely berry shades.

Posh is a bright and beautiful colour. It is a lot more pigmented on your lips than it appears to be in the packaging, so just watch out for that. And it's extremely build-able as well, if you're feeling a little bold!

Voodoo is a deeper coloured red, with a slight pinkish-brown undertone. It doesn't come off as strongly as Posh does, though. In the swatch posted above, I think it looks a lot more brown than it actually is. My lips are naturally quite pigmented, so it shows up as more pink-berry on them.

Overall, I think that these lipsticks are worth trying out. For £1.50 each, you can play around with different colours, and see what suits you. I'm definitely going to be trying out more of them.

Studio Conditioning Lip Balm

This lip balm is from the Elf Studio line, which is priced slightly higher, with almost all items being £3.50 each. The shade that I own is Romantic Rouge, a lovely, bright red.

In addition to having SPF 15 in them, these lip balms are very, very hydrating. They're rich and creamy, and feel great on your lips. They also have a sweet, coconut-y sort of scent to them, and they taste sweet as well!

The pigmentation on these lip balms is AMAZING. Honestly, I can't stress this enough. You can see how glossy and shiny it is in the picture of the swatch, but even when it is on your lips, it does not look like a lip balm! Every time I have worn it, people have asked me which lipstick I'm wearing, and honestly - I don't even wear that much of it! I have tried quite a few tinted lip balms in the past, and few have such incredible colour payoff. I highly recommend this one.

So there you have it! I have been using these products for a while now, and have grown to love them. I hope that this review helped you, and do check back in soon!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Hello, everyone! For my first post, I thought I would write a review on something that I have been using a lot lately. They are both body sprays from the Boots Natural Collection, available in-store and online. The ones I use are Samphire and Sea Minerals, and Vanilla, and both of them are priced at £2.03 each (like all other sprays in this line).

I'll just start off by giving my opinion on both of them together. While I only own these two sprays, I have smelled the fragrances of the others, and honestly, I had a hard time picking just a couple. At £2.03 each, they are just such amazing value and you get 150 ml of product. Additionally, they have corresponding body lotions and shower creams, but I haven't tried those, so I can't vouch for them. And the fragrance does seem to linger for quite a long time if you spray it somewhat liberally all over yourself. Now on to my thoughts on each of them!

Samphire and Sea MineralsThis body spray is divine. One whiff of it and it transports me to beaches, hammocks and sunsets. It really is like summer in a bottle, and I know we're heading into winter now and tend to favour heavier scents, but I already know that I'm going to have a hard time putting this to rest. It is just so light and fresh, and no matter how much of it you put on, it never seems to become overbearing like so many others do. I really, really recommend this one if you like peppy, fresh fragrances that still manage to be feminine at the same time.

Vanilla

I love vanilla fragrances in general, but I don't think I'm being biased when I'm talking about this one. It's everything you would want in a vanilla body spray - it's warm, sweet (like a dessert!) and familiar. I would actually say it's the equivalent of a blanket - comforting and cozy. One word of warning, though - you can't spray it as liberally as you would the samphire and sea minerals spray. As with all vanilla fragrances, it's best enjoyed in moderation, and too much of it can get a little overpowering.

So, there you go! I hope you enjoyed reading this, more reviews and posts are sure to follow this one. Thanks for stopping by!